Risk and safeguarding Flashcards
Who’s responsibility is safeguarding?
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
All staff who come into contact with vulnerable people and their families/carers are responsible for listening carefully to them, understanding what safeguarding harm and abuse is, and how to report it.
Must report suspected abuse to their line manager or adult social care services as appropriate.
Keep a clear, accurate and detailed records relating to any abuse witnessed or disclosed.
Keep up to date with safeguarding training.
A vatic incident log must be completed when a safeguarding adult concern is raised.
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.
Safeguarding is aimed at people with care and support needs who may be in vulnerable circumstances and at risk of abuse or neglect.
Local services must work together to spot the signs of those at risk, and protect them.
What are some types of abuse?
- Disability hate crime
- Discriminatory abuse
- Domestic abuse
- FGM
- Financial abuse
- Forced marriage
- Honour-based violence
- Organisational abuse
- Psychological abuse
- Sexual abuse
A client you are seeing reports discloses that they are experiencing abuse or neglect. What do you do?
- Listen carefully, be patient and focus on what I’m being told.
- Don’t express any of my own views or feelings. Or show shock.
- Give them support to express themselves, without asking leading questions e.g. Makaton, talking mats, PECs
- Reassurance they have done the right thing and Take them seriously.
- If they are in immediate danger- call the police
- Explain that if they at risk of harm, I can’t keep it a secret, but I will only tell the people who it’s necessary to tell and who will help. I might say that I know someone who can help and know exactly what to do.
- Immediately raise with my line manager and/or duty manager.
What are the signs of abuse?
- Becoming quiet and withdrawn
- Behaviours that challenge
- Looking unkempt
- Sudden changes in their character.
What if someone asks you to keep their abuse a secret?
Explain that if I think someone is at risk of harm to themselves or others, then I have to tell someone.
Explain that I might not be the best person to help them, but I work with other people who are experts in these situations, and will help them too.
What would you do if a service user told you they were suicidal?
- I would take them seriously, and apply my knowledge that adults with LD are more likely to have poor mental health and attempt suicide compared to the general population.
- I would not act shocked, or show my personal emotions, remaining professional at all times.
- I would show kindness and compassion, creating an environment in which they can safely talk, free from judgement.
- I would focus and actively listen
- I would try to gather information; sucidal ideation/thoughts or if they have a plan, means/ability to action plan
- Check support network
- If I suspect a hight risk of completing suicide, then I would call emergency services.
- Follow trust related policy and inform line manager and duty manager
- Debrief in clinical supervision, and take steps to support my own psychological wellbeing; attend exercise class, go on walk, see friends.
You are aware that a client with autism has recently become more physically aggressive towards his carers and visitors at home, what would you want to find out before you visit to carry out some intervention work.
- Speak to other members of the team, ask them about their experience/observations.
- Look at PBS plan/care plan/reports for guidance
- Contact the family to find out what has changed and whether the visit is advisable
- Plan visit so that it will cause as little distress as possible to the individual (communication techniques, having a trusted carer present)
- Ask a colleague to attend the appointment with me.
- Use lone working policy
- Understand that all behaviours are a form of communication, and try to identify what the clients’ unmet need is, and if they are at risk of harm or neglect.
Clinicians in this team need to deal with competing demands, can you give us some examples of how you prioritise your clinical and non-clinical tasks.
- Use my outlook calendar to document all clinical and non-clinical tasks, planning my week on a Monday morning.
- Use my RiO calendar to document all clinical work.
- Constantly completing dynamic risk assessments, to ensure I prioritise work accordingly
- If I am unsure how to prioritise my workload, I will discuss with my clinical supervisor.
- I work to meet the needs of both the clients and the service, meeting targets whilst remaining person centred.
